We sent the Thompson family and their son (age 5) to Beijing's Magic Bean House to see just how popular it is among the small set. Here is the report.

My son (aged 5) and I recently stopped by The Magic Bean House Museum near Chaoyang Park for the first time. We arrived with high hopes and left only slightly disappointed given the worn conditions and ¥120 price tag.

The center has many sections for children aged 2 to 8 years, but many of the items are either very used or broken (evidence of the center’s popularity, perhaps?). The giant globe, for instance, would have made a wonderful learning apparatus—particularly given my son’s interest in finding the countries his classmates are from—but most of the pieces were missing.

Similarly, most of the pictures belonging to the building blocks from the earthquake board—which allows children to build a city and then gawp at their eventual destruction via the press of a button—had been completely rubbed off.

Still, despite all this, my son did enjoy himself. He loved playing pretend in the mini supermarket, filling his toy trolley with food items and deciding what we were going to have for dinner. He also loved collecting the countless foam balls in the experimental hall, playing in the small climbing jungle and splashing about in the water exploratory area. He also enjoyed the puppet theater with its cool costumes, though, if you ask me, they needed a good wash.

When all is said and done, my son actually had a great time at The Magic Bean House. The proof was when he exclaimed "I love it here!" when it came time for us to leave. I'm inclined to take him back for a second visit.

Bottom line: If you don’t mind the shabby appearance, there is more than enough here to keep the kids happy and occupied. Just be sure you go equipped with lots of hand sanitizer.

DETAILS

What: Magic Bean House

The Family: The Thompsons

How Much: RMB40 for adults, RMB80 for children from 2 to 8 years, RMB40 for toddlers and free for infants

The Verdict: Appearances aside, there's more than enough to keep the kids happy and occupied

Perfect For: Kids aged 2-8

Web: www.magicbeanhouse.com